ASEAN Summit in Philippines: TNI Deploys 5 F-16s and 3 Warships in North Sulawesi
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) held a readiness operation in the North Sulawesi region on Friday (8/5/2026) to support the implementation of the ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines.
The activity involved land, sea, and air branches to test the readiness of joint operations, ranging from troop mobility and VIP security to responses to emergency situations in the area.
“There are five F-16 aircraft, Hercules, and A400M for this readiness operation. (Then) three warships (of types) Brawijaya, Siliwangi, and RE Martadinata,” stated the Head of the Defence Information Bureau (Karo Infohan) of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo, in his statement on Friday.
He said that this readiness is a routine activity carried out by the TNI to anticipate various possible situations during international agendas in the ASEAN region.
“Indonesia views the stability and security of the region as a shared responsibility of ASEAN countries,” he said.
“Therefore, the TNI’s readiness in this context is part of Indonesia’s contribution to supporting the creation of a safe, conducive regional situation that supports the success of ASEAN’s strategic agendas,” he added.
Previously reported, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended a series of events at the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Philippines, on Friday (8/5/2026), arriving in a domestically produced Maung vehicle.
Upon disembarking from the vehicle, the Head of State immediately entered the event room for the summit retreat session.
While waiting for delegations from other countries to arrive at the venue, Prabowo was seen conversing with several state leaders present in the event room.
At this moment, Prabowo even gave a thumbs-up to one of the ASEAN state leaders in attendance.
After the joint photo session was completed, the Indonesian President had a brief conversation with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
The two appeared to chat amicably with each other.